DonM we own a Tesla and your sentiment is exactly it, it’s not a great road trip car. However, it’s outstanding for 98% of daily use. The only time it’s less than ideal is when you routinely travel more than 250miles round trip from home. Even then, it’s really not that big of a deal if you are in an area with chargers, if not, then it sucks.
Here’s the way I look at it, a car is a tool, used to get point a to b. The most efficient way of doing that 98% of the time is the EV. For those longer trips, especially with kids and gear in tow, a mini van/suv is more ideal. I’ll take the 98% and figure out the 2%, however most Americans choose to buy a vehicle to cover the 2% and deal with the 98%. The funny part is, they think the EV people are the idiots, when they themselves obviously can’t handle basic math.
I also want to point out, the EV technology is not there for trucks, if you need a work vehicle the best option is diesel and our government already screwed us on that one and continues to try to make it worse.
Hybrid technology has a fair argument of the “best of both worlds”, but in reality it’s really just the worst of both. You get more shit to break, virtually zero pure EV miles and the rough engine /transmission options that try to save fuel, lack on all performance and have to pay a premium for it all. Sorry Steve, can’t agree that it’s the best option with you on this one. The difference in cost between the regular and hybrid versions in most vehicles is never justified by the fuel savings, and aside from a few of the Toyota options the hybrids tend to have lower performance output. I’m not saying the Highlander Hybrid isn’t a great vehicle, it is. However the driving experience is atrocious compared to a full EV, so for the more “enthusiastic” drivers, it’s not really a comparison.
